U.S. patent number 8,931,664 [Application Number 13/560,378] was granted by the patent office on 2015-01-13 for single use dispenser package.
This patent grant is currently assigned to Wave Creative Products Inc.. The grantee listed for this patent is Diana Foster. Invention is credited to Diana Foster.
United States Patent |
8,931,664 |
Foster |
January 13, 2015 |
Single use dispenser package
Abstract
A single use dispenser package is configured and sized for
storing and dispensing a single serving of a liquid or viscous
product. An elongated stem on one end of the dispenser package is
provided, having an aperture adaptable for dispensing a variety of
products, ranging from liquid to considerably viscous products. To
prevent inadvertent emission of the product, and in order to keep
the opening of the dispenser package closed and sanitary prior to
use, a portion of the relevant end of the dispenser package is
folded over on itself and sealed with a food grade adhesive. The
food grade adhesive seal may be easily broken by the user for
dispensing the liquid or viscous product. The single use dispenser
packages are tube-shaped to allow for easy squeezing and emission
of the product out of the aperture.
Inventors: |
Foster; Diana (Potomac,
MD) |
Applicant: |
Name |
City |
State |
Country |
Type |
Foster; Diana |
Potomac |
MD |
US |
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Assignee: |
Wave Creative Products Inc.
(Pompano Beach, FL)
|
Family
ID: |
47596391 |
Appl.
No.: |
13/560,378 |
Filed: |
July 27, 2012 |
Prior Publication Data
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Document
Identifier |
Publication Date |
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US 20130026183 A1 |
Jan 31, 2013 |
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Related U.S. Patent Documents
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Application
Number |
Filing Date |
Patent Number |
Issue Date |
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61512024 |
Jul 27, 2011 |
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Current U.S.
Class: |
222/107; 222/529;
222/157; 222/527; 222/158; 222/491 |
Current CPC
Class: |
B65D
77/0473 (20130101); B65D 35/08 (20130101) |
Current International
Class: |
B65D
35/00 (20060101) |
Field of
Search: |
;222/92,107,157-159,527-530,213-215,491 |
References Cited
[Referenced By]
U.S. Patent Documents
Primary Examiner: Nicolas; Frederick C
Attorney, Agent or Firm: Downey, P.A.; Robert M.
Parent Case Text
This application claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Patent
Application Ser. No. 61/512,024 filed on Jul. 27, 2011.
Claims
What is claimed is:
1. A single use dispenser package for storing a serving of a
viscous product, said single use dispenser package comprising: a
container formed from a single unitary wall structure extending
from a first end to an opposite second end, and said first end
being closed and said opposite second end including an aperture
defining a dispensing outlet, and said unitary wall structure
including a first portion surrounding an interior chamber and a
second portion defining an elongate stem surrounding an interior
channel extending in fluid flow communication between said interior
chamber and said aperture at said opposite second end; said
interior chamber extending from said first end of said container
and towards said opposite second end and terminating prior to said
second end of said container; said interior channel extending
between said interior chamber and said aperture at said second end
of said container; said elongate stem being foldable, wherein at
least one segment of said elongate stem is foldable onto another
segment of said elongate stem, thereby pinching closed the interior
channel and preventing passage of the viscous product; a food grade
adhesive for releasably sealing together the folded segments of
said elongate stem for preventing release of the viscous product
stored in unitary wall structure prior to use of said single use
dispenser package; said food grade adhesive being breakable by a
user; and wherein squeezing said first portion of said unitary wall
structure of said container forces the viscous product stored in
the interior chamber through the interior channel and out of the
aperture.
2. The single use dispenser package as recited in claim 1 wherein
at least a portion of said container is transparent for viewing the
viscous product stored therein.
3. The single use dispenser package as recited in claim 2 further
comprising at least one measuring marker for indicating the amount
of the viscous product stored within the interior chamber of said
container.
4. The single use dispenser package as recited in claim 1 wherein
said viscous product is toothpaste.
5. The single use dispenser package as recited in claim 1 wherein
said viscous product is mouthwash.
6. The single use dispenser package as recited in claim 1 wherein
said viscous product is shampoo.
7. The single use dispenser package as recited in claim 1 wherein
said viscous product is medicine.
8. The single use dispenser package as recited in claim 1 wherein
said viscous product is a food product.
9. The single use dispenser package as recited in claim 1 wherein
said container and said elongate stem are made of polypropylene.
Description
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to product dispensers and, more
particularly, a single use dispenser package for dispensing
products such as toothpaste, shampoo, liquid cosmetics, medicinal
liquids and creams, and food items.
2. Discussion of the Related Art
Single use and single serving products have been in use for a
several years and provide a level of flexibility and convenience
for users. While a number of single use products are widely used in
the food industry, such as packets of ketchup, mustard and other
condiments, relatively few single use products are widely used in
other product markets, such as toothpaste, mouthwash, shampoo, and
liquid cosmetics.
An example of a single use product delivery package in the
above-identified product markets is provided in U.S. Pat. No.
6,845,883 to Pieri, which discloses a toothpaste dispenser for
monitoring a child's toothpaste usage that includes an elongated
strip having a plurality of one time use sachets, each including a
quantity of toothpaste suitable for a single use. While the
dispenser disclosed in the '883 patent is useful for its intended
purpose, it does not provide for clean and easy emission of a
product, which makes the dispenser rather unusable.
Another example of a single use product delivery package is
disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 6,557,731 to Lyon et al. The '731 patent
provides a single use glue dispensing package including one end
having a perforated edge for tearing off, thereby allowing the glue
to be removed therefrom. Requiring perforated edges to be torn off
can result in an amount of the contained product being
inadvertently emitted, however, as the user must grip the opposite
side of the glue dispensing package when tearing off the perforated
edge. Such a delivery package would be highly ineffectual for
containing liquid products.
Therefore, there remains a need for a single use dispenser package
that provides easy and sanitary delivery of a product and which is
adaptable for dispensing both liquid and viscous products.
OBJECTS AND ADVANTAGES OF THE INVENTION
Considering the foregoing, it is a primary object of the present
invention to provide a single use dispenser package that is
adaptable for dispensing both liquid and viscous products.
It is a further object of the present invention to provide a single
use dispenser package that allows for sanitary dispensing of a
product, wherein delivery of the product does not require the
package to physically contact the receptacle receiving the
product.
It is a further object of the present invention to provide a single
use dispenser package that is easy to use.
It is a further object of the present invention to provide a single
use dispenser package that can be easily opened prior to dispensing
the product and will not result in inadvertent emission of the
liquid or viscous product contained therein.
It is still a further object of the present invention to provide a
single use dispenser package that is inexpensive to
manufacture.
It is yet a further object of the present invention to provide a
single use dispenser package that includes measuring markings for
readily identifying the quantity of liquid or viscous product
contained therein.
These and other objects and advantages of the present invention are
readily apparent with reference to the detailed description and
accompanying drawings.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The present invention is directed to a single use dispenser package
that is configured and sized for dispensing a single serving of a
liquid or viscous product. Each single use dispenser package is
formed of polypropylene, a well known packaging material. An
elongated stem on one end of the dispenser package is provided,
having an aperture adaptable for dispensing a variety of products,
ranging from liquid to considerably viscous products. To prevent
inadvertent emission of the product, and in order to keep the
opening of the dispenser package closed and sanitary prior to use,
a portion of the relevant end of the dispenser package is folded
over on itself and sealed with a food grade adhesive. The food
grade adhesive seal may be easily broken by the user for dispensing
the liquid or viscous product. The single use dispenser packages
are tube-shaped to allow for easy squeezing and emission of the
product out of the aperture.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
For a fuller understanding of the nature of the present invention,
reference should be made to the following detailed description
taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings in which:
FIG. 1 is a front side view of the single use dispenser package of
the present invention;
FIG. 2 is a top side view of the single use dispenser package of
the present invention;
FIG. 3 is a side view of the single use dispenser package of the
present invention, shown in cross-section, illustrating the process
for opening a single use dispenser package;
FIG. 4 is a front side view of an alternative embodiment of the
single use dispenser package of the present invention;
FIG. 5 is a side view of the single use dispenser package, shown in
accordance with a preferred embodiment, wherein toothpaste is
dispensed from the single use dispenser package;
FIG. 6 is a perspective view of a single use cartridge for storing
one single use dispenser package of the present invention;
FIG. 7 is a perspective view of a dispenser cartridge for storing
multiple single use dispenser packages; and
FIG. 8 is a perspective view of multiple dispenser cartridges for
storing multiple single use dispenser packages in connection with
single use dispenser cartridges for storing one single use
dispenser packages.
Like reference numerals refer to like parts throughout the several
views of the drawings.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT
Referring to the several views of the drawings, and initially FIGS.
1-3, the single use dispenser package for storing and dispensing
liquid and viscous products is shown and is generally indicated as
10.
A single use dispenser package 10 is formed of polypropylene in a
tube-shaped form, as seen in FIGS. 1-3. Each single use dispenser
package 10 is sized and configured for containing a measured
quantity amounting to a single serving of a liquid or viscous
product 12 that may be emitted via an aperture 14 located on an
elongated stem 16 in communication with the container 18 of the
dispenser package 10. The liquid or viscous product 12 is stored in
an interior chamber 19 and emitted therefrom by squeezing the
container 18 of the dispenser package 10, thereby forcing the
product 12 stored within the interior chamber 19 into the interior
channel 21 extending between the interior chamber 19 and the
aperture 14. The aperture 14 preferably extends the entire width of
the elongated stem 16 for easy and sanitary emission of the product
12.
In a preferred embodiment, the elongated stem 16 of the dispenser
package 10 is folded over on itself, preferably two times as
illustrated in FIG. 3, thereby pinching closed the interior channel
21 and preventing the liquid or viscous product 12 from being
inadvertently emitted through the aperture 14. A food grade
adhesive 20 is applied to portions of the elongated stem 16 of the
of the dispenser package 10 to releasably seal the folded segments
of the elongated stem 16, thereby ensuring the product 12 will not
be emitted via the aperture 14 prior to its intended use. The seal
produced by the food grade adhesive 20 requires little force to be
broken by the user for dispensing the liquid or viscous product
12.
In a preferred embodiment of the dispenser package 10, a measuring
marker 22 or a sequence of measuring markings 22 is included on the
main body 18, wherein the product 12 is visible through the main
body 18, making the amount of product 12 readily identifiable to a
user. Such measuring markings 22 would be particularly desirable
where the dispenser package 10 contains an amount of liquid or
viscous medicine.
Referring to FIG. 4, an alternative embodiment of the single use
dispenser package 10 is shown, wherein the elongated stem 16 is not
foldable and includes a cap, such as a breakaway cap 23, for
preventing inadvertent emission of the product 12. The breakaway
cap 23 requires little force from a user to be removed to reveal
the aperture 14 for dispensing of the product 12. Other caps, such
as a screw-on cap (not pictured) may be used as well.
As shown in FIG. 5, the aperture 14 is sized and positioned to
allow the product 12 to be emitted from the dispenser package 10
without requiring that the dispenser package 10 come into contact
with the object intended to receive the product 12, such as a
toothbrush, as illustrated in FIG. 5. The small size of the
interior channel 21 and aperture 14 relative to the interior
chamber 19 makes squeezing the product 12 out of the aperture 14
easy and does not require that the user's fingers get close to the
product 12 or aperture 14. The small size of the interior channel
21 and aperture 14 relative to the interior chamber 19 further
makes the dispenser package 10 useful for containing a range of
products, such as toothpaste, mouthwash, shampoo, medicinal liquids
and creams, and food items.
A single use cartridge 24 having a removable top 26 is provided for
storing a single use dispenser package 10, as seen in FIG. 6. A
cartridge 28 is provided for storing multiple dispenser packages
10, as shown in FIG. 7, wherein the dispenser packages 10 are
accessible via an opening 30 on the cartridge 28. A sliding door 32
may be opened and closed for providing and restricting access to
the opening 30, respectively. Referring to FIG. 8, a preferred
method of packaging the single use dispenser packages 10 is shown,
wherein multiple single use cartridges 24 may be packaged alongside
cartridges 28 for convenient accessibility.
While the present invention has been shown and described in
accordance with several preferred and practical embodiments
thereof, it is recognized that departures from the instant
disclosure are fully contemplated within the spirit and scope of
the invention as defined in the following claims and as interpreted
under the Doctrine of Equivalence.
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